May 23rd, 2017
It is exactly one hundred days since A.S. Nikitin became acting governor. One hundred days is not a very long period of time for global changes to occur, but it is quite sufficient for people to form a personal attitude towards the new Acting Governor.
I asked my friends, famous people in the Novgorod region, to answer two questions:
1 - How do you evaluate the first hundred days of the work of Acting Governor A.S. Nikitina?
2 - What hopes do you pin on the new Acting Governor A.S. Nikitin?
They shared their opinions: Anton Georgiev, Alexander Zhukovsky, Dmitry Grinenko, Dmitry Ignatov, Elena Mikhailova, Sergey Dobrovolsky, Sergey Maksimenko, Stanislav Popov.
I would like to thank my friends for finding some time and talking about their expectations from the new Acting Governor Andrei Nikitin. I also expressed my opinion.
Anton Georgiev (entrepreneur, philanthropist) comments:
I like his constructive approach to business. He doesn't play to the public, but tries to get on with things. I have high hopes for him, I hope that he will help regional business and will be able to do a lot for our region.
Alexander Zhukovsky (political scientist, sociologist) comments:
VRIO entered a region with a low cultural and professional level of infrastructure of regional, local government with inflated paternalistic expectations of the population, fixed by the subjective characteristics of the previous political regime in the Novgorod region.
It is noticeable that A. Nikitin, in his professional, personal qualities and aspirations, is focused on creating conditions for development in the region with an emphasis on project management. He is really trying to involve the region in a new promising reality, which is primarily associated with the functions of SERVICE of management processes, but not MANAGEMENT itself. This is, first of all, connected and noticeable with the involvement of the potential of ASI experts, other organizations and institutions of Russia. It is precisely this circumstance that is today the basic misunderstanding in the relations of the new ACT and the expectations of the qualified part of the population. From A. Nikitin they expected (are expecting) drastic changes in the very infrastructure of regional local self-government, however, his emphasis on indirect management details bothers many.
In the matter of emphasis on SERVICE MANAGEMENT, A. Nikitin acts completely objectively and correctly, but it is precisely this circumstance that strains some environments in the region. The lack of service tools that support and develop effective management created the conditions for the emergence and establishment of authoritarian methods and management in the Novgorod region, and the consolidation of sectoral management principles from the 19th century in the region.
The mistake of the IO in this matter is not the general strategic direction of its aspirations, but the circumstances showing that external service tools (ASI, etc.) are being introduced into the region, but there is no (not enough) activity of signals to recreate the creation of its regional tools that will ensure effective management on a daily basis and across the entire spectrum of regional development, organically integrated into the management infrastructure.
New personnel attracted to the region also cause public dissonance. It is noticeable that they are focused on predominantly project-based forms of development of the territory (except, perhaps Kolotilova...?), but this generally good attitude (“personnel grafting”) also contradicts erroneous public expectations (inertia) - to bring order to the very MANAGEMENT of the region , and not on its parts (service departments).
I would like A. Nikitin to fulfill his desire to develop the infrastructure of service services, which over time will replace ineffective means, tools and management principles. Conducted a regional reform in management on the principles of transition from predominantly established sectoral management principles to project and process ones. To do this, you need to create your own regional network of such tools and not make the region dependent on such products and services outside the Novgorod region.
Dmitry Grinenko (social activist, creator of the Borovichi forum) comments:
I rate it ambiguously. On the one hand, the region got rid of the boorish governor who bothered everyone. ACTING Nikitin is young, there is no feeling of ossification in him, one gets the impression that he really wants to start solving problems. And the so-called “strategic sessions” he organized throughout the region are proof of this. On the other hand, Nikitin did not completely replace the old team and did not make drastic personnel changes. But this would be the key to future changes. And in order to develop a personal relationship, you need to see him in action more. I don’t think anyone has any doubts that he will win the elections (if he participates in them).
If Nikitin’s entourage, when he becomes a full-fledged governor, will remain people from Mitin’s team, I don’t feel any hope for improvement. Most likely, Nikitin will not be able to become a full-fledged independent figure if, in my opinion, shady personalities like I. Verkhodanov, I. Neofitov and the like continue to hang around him. And they will most likely continue. I place all my hopes for improving the situation in the country as a whole, and the region in particular, on a change in the top leadership - the president and the government. Given the existing system of unfair distribution of resources, no young and smart governor will be able to radically change the situation.
Dmitry Ignatov (deputy of the Novgorod Regional Duma) comments:
I'll refrain from making judgments for now. Things need to be assessed, but, in my opinion, there are none yet. As they say, “the king is played by his retinue,” but the personnel policy of Andrei Sergeevich Nikitin is not yet clear. The thesis is being circulated in various media that there was no development in the Novgorod region, while for 100 days next to Nikitin were precisely those people who were responsible for development for Sergei Gerasimovich Mitin. I get the impression that Andrei Nikitin behaves like a business owner and for him the Novgorod region is like an enterprise that needs to be developed. There is one big “But” in this. The owner of the business is not chosen, he is the owner, and Andrei Nikitin will have to be assessed on September 10 by the residents of the Novgorod region. Novgorodians are full of hope that a lot will change for the better, but since we only hear words so far, the degree of hope is gradually falling.
We need real, interesting federal projects that will provide jobs for people and work for small businesses to service these projects. I hope that Andrei Nikitin, using his connections at the federal level, will help many Novgorod enterprises enter new markets. I hope the status of local authorities will increase, which today has a huge amount of powers, but does not have the resources to carry them out. I hope that the region will be governed by young, ambitious people. At the same time, the governor needs to show great wisdom so as not to belittle the importance of experienced managers, to place young people in key positions, to attract personnel from other territories, but at the same time to develop local specialists.
Elena Mikhailova (deputy of the City Duma of Veliky Novgorod) comments:
Alexander Kostyukhin asked my opinion about the first 100 days of the work of the acting governor of the Novgorod region, Andrei Nikitin.
-- I evaluate the first 100 days of the work of the acting acting office as signs of the coincidence of Andrei Sergeevich’s personal career plans with the expectations of the province. He gets a taste of the tools and functions of federal power, rightly not seeing the pinnacle of his career in the Novgorod region. And the Novgorod region is waiting for a drop board at any cost. Get out of the swamp with decades of unresolved problems, forward to the quality of life of all generations precisely in the territory between St. Petersburg and Moscow - here is the common desired scenario for us and Nikitin and the “presidential test” for managerial efficiency.
My hopes for the VRIO are hopes for an increase in the pace and will to solve the problems of the population. Waiting for handouts from Moscow to support the province is a good scenario, but there is a better way. Force, impose, lead trends! The Novgorod region, alas, is like a test tube for experience; we are historically prescribed to be a territory for testing new meanings and technologies: with the Varangian Rurik, with the veche system, with the ability to hold territories from the Baltic to the Urals, with the ability not to suffocate on the outskirts of the empire with an open window to Europe . I am looking for pace and will, so I have already proposed a scenario for negotiations with the Council of Europe to improve the city’s transport system and a project for a medical international forum called “Citizens Have Straight Backs.” While the acting deputy prefers to work with Muscovites rather than with Novgorodians, while the bureaucratic culture of timely responses to their requests is alien to him, bye-bye-bye - there is hope that in Putin’s nominee there will be a place not for inertia and complacency, but for the pace and will to meet the needs of citizens .
Sergei Dobrovolsky (candidate for the State Duma from the Parnassus party) comments:
No way. None.
Sergei Maksimenko (political figure, Yabloko party) comments:
There is nothing to evaluate yet; I don’t see either a politician or a business executive yet. There is only one hope: I would like the Lord to improve the fate of this great country.
Stanislav Popov (political figure, NOD movement) comments:
And my hopes are that Nikitin will be able to become that positive temporary participant in the system who will launch the process of compromise between all parts of the system. And then, without dividing, give development to each in its own direction, for the Good of the universal. Wait and see!
Alexander Kostyukhin comments:
On May 16, 2017, Acting Governor of the Novgorod Region Andrei Nikitin expressed his opinion on the pages of the Izvestia newspaper, in an article entitled “Resource of Complicity.”
Nikitin discussed who determines the development strategy for the Russian region and how to involve active citizens in its implementation.
My opinion is that the government is slowly but surely moving towards bankruptcy of the country, while making attempts to share responsibility for its failed policies with the people. The bureaucracy itself is still trying to keep the people away from power.
That is, they, the bureaucrats, continue to rule, and the responsibility for the wrong path chosen will largely be assigned to the people. Nikitin writes that in modern conditions you need to run at least twice as fast. German Gref is sure that you need to run 5-10 times faster.
Moreover, not only the regional leadership, but also all active citizens should run like this. Our Acting Governor is young, but early. He probably thinks that our people don’t know the Russian folk tale “The Little Fox and the Gray Wolf.” Our people are wise, the authorities have taught them to keep a low profile. Therefore, they will watch from the sidelines and wait for the acting governor to show them what he is capable of.
Our officials believe that our people are gullible and can be deceived endlessly. Bureaucrats are lucky that our people don’t really like to delve into history, so every new generation steps on the same rake.
If the people stopped for a minute and looked through the pages of history, they would have learned that even the Minister of Finance Sergei Witte in the 19th century, through his actions, ruined the treasury of the Russian Empire, entrepreneurs Savva Morozov, Savva Mamontov and other active people.
In his own words, Andrei Nikitin confirms that the authorities cannot be trusted: five years ago, a strategy for the socio-economic development of the Novgorod region until 2030 was adopted. Similar programs have been developed in the districts.
Five years later, many assessments of the situation in the region, on the basis of which the strategy was developed, are outdated. That is, the money actually went into the trash bin.
I have already written earlier about the strategic mistakes that started the work of Acting Governor Nikitin in our region.
The authorities want the people to run forward as quickly as possible, without stopping or looking back, without being able to assess the situation. However, the people do not want to run - the people are tired, they want to stop, take a breath, see what the government is capable of, whether it can lead them. If the authorities are unable to lead by clearly explaining the goals and priorities of the path, then fermentation begins among the people - people are looking for their own path.
One hundred days have passed since Andrei Nikitin arrived in the region. According to the rate stated by Nikitin, this time is equal to 200 days, and if we go by Gref’s words, then three whole years will soon pass. What did Andrei Nikitin manage to do during this time?
As many people say, nothing yet. If Gref believes that it is impossible to move at such super speeds under the leadership of political commissars, then Nikitin’s political commissars not only retained their positions, but are also forming a team for the new acting governor.
How is he going to run with them twice as fast, if during Mitya’s ten years they almost forgot how to walk?
As for the public sessions, I believe they were held solely for the purpose of preparing A.S. Nikitin for the upcoming elections, and this was done at budget expense. If earlier the president sent his henchmen with a baggage of budget funds, with the help of which it was possible to somewhat improve the situation in the region, now instead of money they sent people who offer to be content with public sessions.
In other regions, teams of professionals have long been trained in Skolkovo, who then work effectively on the ground, involving community members in their activities. In the Novgorod region, not only the governor or the acting governor, but not even a single deputy made it to Skolkovo in order to learn at least something there. Although management teams of single-industry towns have been studying there for three years now. There are 5 single-industry towns in our region, but so far not a single team has completed training.
During this time, the Kemerovo region has already trained 7 management teams at the Skolkovo base, the Republic of Tatarstan - 6, Bashkortostan, Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod regions - 5 teams each, the Perm Territory and Chelyabinsk region 4 teams each... The list goes on and on.
In total, out of 319 Russian single-industry towns, 133 teams remained untrained. And 5 of them are located in the Novgorod region. The point is that we are not running away; Novgorod bureaucrats are not even ready to learn, unlike their colleagues from other regions.
Skolkovo is not only about training effective teams, it is also the prospect of single-industry towns receiving TASED status, which entails federal funding. Two popularly elected heads of the largest single-industry towns in our region, who were trained in Skolkovo and trained their teams, were removed from office. When the newly launched process froze, no one was sent to Skolkovo. Currently, only the Parfinsky district team was sent from our region for training in Skolkovo, to which it is not clear how Dmitry Vertkov ended up. And after some time he was removed from his post as director of the Regional Development Agency.
By the way, people very similar to Bogdanov and Vertkov were seen hundreds of kilometers from Skolkovo, at a time when the session had not yet ended.
On April 20, at an off-site meeting of the Government of the Novgorod Region in Borovichi, the Acting Governor called the idea expressed by me about creating a tourism cluster in three districts - Borovichsky, Okulovsky and Lyubytinsky - interesting and promising. I expressed that I was ready to participate in the implementation of the idea as an investor - however, no one contacted me. The only thing is that Mark Veniaminovich Masarsky invited me to take part in organizing the election headquarters of A.S. Nikitin - but I refused.
How can I campaign for a person I don’t know personally and don’t even know who he is?
People who talk about the acting governor in a similar way to me are in the Novgorod region, as I believe, in the majority.
Famous Novgorodians whom I asked to express their opinion about the first 100 days of Andrei Nikitin speak very carefully. Mostly comments in the spirit of the fact that 100 days is a very short period of time, and the acting governor himself seems to have found mutual understanding with the residents of the region.
In his article in Izvestia, Andrei Nikitin says this: it seems that we have managed to destroy the artificial pyramid, in which the government and the population are separated at the poles and are in irreconcilable antagonism. This turned out to be easy, since this antagonism is largely contrived.” Nikitin further states that the task of the authorities is to help people live the way they want. Not to provide, not to guarantee - but to help. Entrepreneurs usually say: we don’t need help from the authorities, as long as they don’t interfere. Ordinary people say: “Why are we paying them money?”
That is, it turns out that officials will not provide anything, will not guarantee anything, but will only receive money?
Nikitin further writes that he saw people who were ready to do a lot if they got a little help. Officials before Nikitin came to the conclusion that if there are people ready to do a lot, then they need to be milked. This practice has led to the fact that if in the 90s children from prosperous families wanted to do business, today’s prosperous youth want to build a career in state corporations, and children from poor families want to become representatives of law enforcement agencies.
The acting governor believes that the strong need to be helped, he is sure of this. I was always sure of this too. But the policy of our state has always been based on the principle: take away from the strong and give to the weak, while carrying out such “redistribution” the bureaucracy never forgot about its share.
The government continues to use budget funds to support production facilities that are deeply unprofitable and in need of urgent restructuring, if not closure. Who Nikitin considers strong and who he plans to help - I can’t say anything about that yet.
Next, the Acting Governor tells Novgorodians that the money invested year after year in pothole repairs of roads was spent ineffectively. He also offers his own solution to the road problem: repair roads at a slower pace, but with high quality, so that it will last for many years to come. What prevented you from doing this before? It turns out that the lack of public consent was a hindrance.
I wonder if Andrei Nikitin himself is mistaken, or if there are some close people who sowed this false belief in him?
For many years, residents of the Borovichi district heard approximately the same thing, only in slightly different words, from Governor Sergei Mitin. Only the Borovichi district did not get the turn to build a good road...
I believe that money was allocated for road construction primarily to those areas where it could be “shared” between interested bureaucrats without any problems.
If Nikitin had analyzed the spending of funds on road construction during the time of his predecessor, he would have seen that the money was allocated to the same municipalities. As a result, there were no quality roads in the region, there were none in the areas where they reached, and there were no roads in those areas where only crumbs reached.
The acting governor says: “I am convinced that we do not and will not have other resources other than those that we ourselves create.” I am sure of the opposite: there is enough money in the budget for the authorities to provide services with high quality and on time. And I proved this with my work in the executive branch. Let's see if Andrei Nikitin can prove something to us. Our people no longer believe words, but there are no real actions yet.
Photos used in the design of the material: archive of the "Vechevoy Kolokol" club, Nikolai Podosokorsky's LiveJournal
Previously, he served as head of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives
General Director of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives Andrey Nikitin
Moscow. February 13. website - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the early termination of the powers of the governor of the Novgorod region Sergei Mitin and appointed Andrei Nikitin, head of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, as acting head of the region. The Kremlin press service reports this.
“Accept the resignation of the governor of the Novgorod region, S.G. Mitin, at his own request. Appoint Andrei Sergeevich Nikitin as acting governor of the Novgorod region until the person elected as governor of the Novgorod region takes office. This decree comes into force from the date of its signing,” it says text of the document.
On Monday, the president met with Nikitin in Novo-Ogarevo. Putin said that he “consulted with the current governor” on the issue of appointing the acting governor. head of the Novgorod region.
The President highly appreciated Nikitin's work as head of the ASI, noting that "during this time, the agency has done a lot to give new impetus to the development of the entire economy."
“You have done a lot on specific projects, in the most important areas of development, you have worked very closely and continue to work with business,” Putin said, addressing Nikitin.
He also drew attention to the fact that recently ASI at the regional level “has been actively promoting work in the field of blue-collar professions: organizing the participation of our young people in international competitions, helping regions organize relevant events at their level, including in Central Russia, in Novgorod region".
Speaking about the region in which the president appointed Nikitin as acting governor, Putin emphasized “the importance of the Novgorod region in the history of our country, in today’s life, in the economy,” and the potential of this region.
Earlier on Monday, Mitin, who led the Novgorod region for more than nine years, told reporters about his early resignation. He noted that he decided not to participate in the 2017 gubernatorial election campaign. According to him, he is leaving his position of his own free will. In addition, Mitin said that he had already asked the head of state for a new job.
Vector of regional development
The priority areas for the development of the Novgorod region are the tourism industry and the processing sector, Nikitin believes.
“Of course, the Novgorod region is very interesting both from a historical point of view and from a logistics point of view. In essence, this is a corridor between two capitals. Probably, the priorities that could be (in the development of the region) are, firstly, tourism industry; secondly, the industry related to processing, which works for our main population cluster, which is located between Moscow and St. Petersburg. These can be Russian and foreign investors,” Nikitin said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to him, in the social sphere it is necessary to rely on the opinion of citizens. “If we use the experience that we at ASI saw in the regions, then we need to rely on the opinion of residents when doing landscaping, doing things related to improving the quality (of life), that is, based on the opinion of the citizens themselves,” he said.
Niktin noted that “only business can correctly show what administrative barriers really hinder it.”
“The tasks that you have set to reduce administrative barriers for business can only be worked out in contact with entrepreneurs. Moreover, entrepreneurs themselves should evaluate the work that we are doing, that colleagues from the regions are doing. Lately we have been very actively engaged in this , including in the Northwestern District, with colleagues from the Novgorod region,” he said.
According to him, a series of meetings were recently held at which issues of the business community were discussed, then a plan was developed and an expert group was created, which began work in the Novgorod region.
“There are very serious tasks for tourism in the Novgorod region. Tourism tasks require, among other things, professions related to tourism - these are people who work in this industry. Today, colleges are gradually starting to train such young people in the tourism business, in service , services, in some kind of production that is related to tourism,” Nikitin said.
Nikitin's career
Nikitin was born in Moscow in 1979. He graduated from the State University of Management in 2001 and received an EMBA degree from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2007. Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and Systems of Industry Management, Institute of Industry Management, RANEPA.
From 2002 to 2011, he worked in the Ruskompozit group of companies, which unites enterprises in the markets of fiberglass, composites and geosynthetic materials, and since 2009 - General Director of the Ruskompozit management company.
In July 2011, Nikitin was appointed general director of the autonomous non-profit organization "Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects."
Nikitin is a member of the presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for economic modernization and innovative development, a member of the presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for strategic development and priority projects, a member of the Economic Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as a number of other advisory bodies.
He was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, and received a Letter of Gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation.
Andrey Nikitin, governor-innovator-biker February 13th, 2017
Wherever they expected Nikitin - young, successful, demonstrating energy and efficiency with his entire appearance.
In particular, he was persistently wooed to replace Ulyukaev, the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
The GDP decided that it was too early. Let 37-year-old Andrei show himself “on the ground” first.
Nikitin is a Muscovite, but lived and received school education in the city of Miass, Chelyabinsk region.
Graduated from the State University of Management with a degree in State and Municipal Administration. Defended his PhD thesis on the topic “Strategy of organizational change as a tool for effective management (theoretical and methodological aspect).”
Since university days in business: deputy director of Block Black LLC, deputy general director for development of Teremok - Russian Pancakes LLC, development director of Neftegazinvest Investment Company CJSC, general director of Steklonit Trading House LLC, general director of Integrated Insulation Systems LLC ", General Director of Uralneftegazstroy LLC, again General Director of LLC "Trading House "Steklonit", General Director of LLC "Steklonit Management", General Director of OJSC "Tverstekloplastik".
All this, I note, over the course of 9 years. Copying and printing equipment, pancakes, oil/gas, fiberglass, composites and geosynthetics.
In 2009-11, Nikitin headed the Ruskompozit holding.
Until November 2009, the founders of Ruskompozit were Bashkir entrepreneur Sergei Fakhretdinov, who had 80 percent of the management company, and Nikitin, who had a share of 20 percent. The company was then sold to the Cypriot company Steklonit Holding Limited. In 2011, the press reported about Ruskompozit Management Company that it “combines two production sites” - Ufa OJSC Steklonit and OJSC Tverstekloplastik. It was noted that it also includes the Moscow trading house Steklonit Management LLC, a subsidiary of Steklonit Management LLP (Kazakhstan) and a representative office of the company in Ukraine. It was also noted that Roskompozit “has established good relations with Gazprom", "Transneft", "Russneft", "Rosneft", "Lukoil", "TNK-BP", "Ritek" and "Russian Railways". The media also reported on the profitability of the companies in which Nikitin worked. Thus, in 2009, the profit of Ruskompozit amounted to 1.4 million rubles, in 2010 the profit of Steklonit was 82.8 million rubles, and Tverstekloplastika in the same year - 20.3 million rubles.
In March 2011, Nikitin signed a cooperation agreement between Ruskoposit and the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), headed by Vasily Yakemenko. According to this document, the company was supposed to provide support to “young innovators” - participants in the “Zvorykinsky project” of Rosmolodezh. In addition, Nikitin’s company acted as a partner of the youth forum “Seliger-2011”, “constructing mobile road surfaces on its territory” from “innovative materials” (laying slabs that are used for the passage of wheeled and tracked vehicles in “rough and swampy terrain”) .
In May 2011, GDP announced the creation of an incubator for innovative business projects, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). In defiance, in contrast to Skolkovo, the favorite brainchild of the hapless Medved.
Putin himself headed the supervisory board. Nikitin, after passing an open competition and approval by the President, became general director.
On February 13, 2017, Putin expectedly appointed Nikitin as acting governor of the Novgorod region.
Andrei Sergeevich Nikitin is exclusively Putin’s creature, equidistant from oligarchic, security and other groups of influence and having no obvious conflicts with these groups of influence.
The Novgorod region is only used as a training ground and (depending on the results) a launching pad.
There is relatively little information about Nikitin’s personal life. It is known that he is a biker (Bad Boyz Moscow club), his wife is a surgeon, and his parents are pensioners.
Conversation between Acting Governor of the Novgorod Region Andrei Nikitin and publicist and blogger Nikolai Podosokorsky.
Andrey Nikitin has been the acting governor of the Novgorod region since February 2017. Born in 1979 in Moscow. Candidate of Economic Sciences. In 2011-2017 - General Director of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects. The conversation with Andrei Nikitin took place on July 28.
— Some political scientists criticize you for being too closed towards local opinion leaders. I decided to check it out for myself, and you agreed to the conversation. Who are you ready to communicate and cooperate with today as the head of the region? How important is the feedback from local residents regarding your work to you? Do you listen to criticism addressed to you?
— I don’t believe at all in a model in which there is one person who knows everything for everyone and will show everyone everything. Therefore, I am ready to communicate and work with absolutely everyone. And this must be done. In the Novgorod region, something can change only when a sufficient number of people are formed here who will live and build their politics a little further than at the current moment. This applies to managers of large enterprises, who must understand that in addition to short-term time, there is also long-term time. This applies to officials, especially mid-level officials, who often do something simply because it is regulated by a state program or something else, and do not answer their own questions: why are they doing this in the long term, and what does it give? And I am absolutely open to communication with those people who care what happens to Novgorod and the Novgorod region, who want the best for them
— Are there people with whom you would definitely not talk and work together?
- With those who are not ready - with those who view their work here (if we talk about business elites) in the format of “grab a piece and run away”, earn money - give it all up and invest it somewhere outside the region. I am not ready to communicate with people who build bad roads. With people who build bad houses. With people who directly combine their parliamentary powers with business interests...
— Are you talking about any specific deputies now?
— I don’t want to name anyone, but we have different such deputies. They are in both the regional duma and the city duma. I am not ready to communicate with those who do not criticize, but get personal. Criticism is normal. I am certainly far from the consciousness that I know everything better than anyone. In fact, a strong team is only strong when it has different people, and you need to be able to find a common language with everyone. Including not being afraid that someone will tell you: “You know, this is where you are wrong!” I wouldn't say every day, but often I meet 5-10 different people and it takes a lot of time. Another thing is that there are completely real people who do real things, but do not actively write on blogs and Facebook - for example, today I was at the Amkor plant - this is an Australian company that makes packaging here. There are a lot of ideas there. It is possible to compare the quality of life and the quality of the business environment here and at other enterprises.
— Did they have any layoffs there?
- No, on the contrary, they invested a lot of money, and now they have set up virtually a new production facility, they are finishing it now, their new center is now being tested.
— You are often called a “young technocrat,” although you are already 37 years old, and, as you know, one of your predecessors, Mikhail Prusak, headed the Novgorod region when he was 31 years old. The current head of the Kaliningrad region, Anton Alikhanov, is 30 years old. Therefore, let’s leave the definition of “young” aside, but what does the term “technocrat” mean? Sometimes they say that this is an official without clear political convictions and values, who is not a politician, a faceless apparatchik who works mainly with papers and various technologies, and not with people and living reality. Do you consider yourself a technocrat?
- If such a definition is given, then, of course, no. I grew up in Russia, I live here. I don't have any alternate airfields. My family also lives in Novgorod. I love my country and wish it well. This is the first value I have. Although I am far from any hysteria in terms of patriotism, since patriotism is a personal feeling, and everyone should have it in their hearts. As for the second value, I am not a technocrat - I like to do my job well, I like to do my job well, I enjoy it. That is, I am proud of what I have done in business, I am proud of what I have done at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and this is important to me.
It is also important for me to understand that what I am doing in the Novgorod region will be good. And my internal self-esteem is that I always compare whether I did the maximum possible or not. Therefore, in this regard, I am not a technocrat. There are two points regarding working with papers. On the one hand, you only need to work with people, because it is people who write papers, it is people who make decisions, it is people who support certain decisions. And if we are talking, for example, about such a topic as the business climate, then we can count some rules, standards, etc. as much as we like, but everything is always determined by the person who looks at the situation and either takes out money and invests them, or says: “No, I don’t like your faces, sorry... I’m out of here. I’ll earn money here, but spend it elsewhere.” People always make emotional decisions. And it’s impossible not to work with this.
On the other hand, it is very important that those decisions that are spoken by the team and society turn into real actions. And you also need to do paperwork. Secondly, in our country you need to understand very clearly, before formulating it, what you want, when you ask for something, when you come to any decisions with the federal authorities. Today, for example, a document was published on the portal of the Russian Government that says: “To recommend that the project office of the National Technology Initiative consider the Novgorod region as a territory for the pilot implementation of projects of the National Technology Initiative.”
What does it mean? The fact is that when interesting technological developments appear in the country, they are included in the NTI program, and the federation helps the first one or two regions in their implementation. That is, now, for example, they have a project of bracelets for elderly people, which monitor their health status and send data to the hospital through SIM cards. And they begin to treat a person not when he himself has already realized that everything is bad, but when his data is crappy. Without the support of the federal center, it will be difficult to implement this program in the region.
— And at the federal level, who is in charge of this?
— RVC supervises this, the NTI project office is located there, and all this is financed with federal money. That is, this is such a complex order, it sounds completely bureaucratic, but if we can implement it, then there is a completely understandable story behind it. In addition, you probably know that the Digital Economy program has been adopted. There is an interesting thing there - the state plans to invest one hundred billion a year in digitalization. This is mainly money that will be spent on building networks and broadband Internet access.
Not bad, right? Will this change the environment a little for the better? Will change. That is, from this point of view, in this part I can be a technocrat. Because this is more correct than just chatting about something without turning statements into actions, which is what many politicians like to do, constructing their vocabulary in the format of expressions with which it is impossible to disagree: “it is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” , “We will increase the pensions for children, we will increase pensions for the elderly, we will reduce tariffs, etc.” And then nothing happens from this... I believe that if you say something, then you need to do it, you need to find the appropriate mechanism, in our bureaucratic and complex country I like to untangle the knots, I like to make sure that everything turns from an idea into some reality, into some money, into some opportunities. This is where I am a scrupulous person.
- That is, you understand how this system works now, and you can effectively interact with it, which not everyone can do...
— At the ASI level, we worked in this system, and I understand how it functions today. I try to make sure that the most opportunities are directed here in this job.
- The next question - probably it should have been the first. It arose naturally. Why did you, being a successful businessman and metropolitan functionary, even agree to lead a small depressed region with a dying population and increasing debts? In the nineties, governors had serious political weight, and, unlike mayors, they were practically not imprisoned. Now the heads of the regions are between a rock and a hard place - they are criticized from below for everything that happens in their regions, all responsibility is shifted onto them from above, sometimes making them “scapegoats”. Just this year, the heads of Udmurtia and Mari El were arrested, and the former governor of the Chelyabinsk region was put on the wanted list. Before this, the governors of the Kirov and Sakhalin regions, as well as the head of the Komi Republic, etc. were arrested. I ask about this, among other things, because many have refused such proposals to lead our region. You most likely did not gain much in salary, but there are probably many more problems and risks in this job. Do you really expect to accomplish some kind of socio-economic miracle in the Novgorod region in the current difficult conditions, when you need to ask the federal center for money every year?
- Well, look, I’ve been losing money on my salary for the last seven years. She fell a lot when I came to ASI, and she fell even more now. I’m not talking about business - there’s still no salary there, it’s different there. How to answer this question? Firstly, maybe this is trite, but the answer is this: I really love my country; and if I can do something for her, then I now have such an opportunity. I have some money so that I can live for a certain time on the reserves that were made earlier. Therefore, one cannot refuse this opportunity to work for the sake of the country. Secondly, it is a great honor for me to work with our president. And in principle, I could never and cannot refuse his proposals. That is, he suggested - I agreed.
— And if he offered you to become the head of Kamchatka, would you go there too?
- Well, probably yes. But I’m glad that Vladimir Vladimirovich offered me Veliky Novgorod... I love history, and I understand that we don’t have such cities in Russia anymore. What do we have that was there at the very beginning and has survived to this day? Apart from Novgorod, perhaps, nothing. Everything was destroyed by someone. And I believe that this, of course, is such an important region for our internal self-awareness. You know, when, for example, on your Facebook you read historical materials, memories about Novgorod of the 19th century, it was described as such a run-of-the-mill town where there was nothing...
- Is it the same now?!
- It’s not the same, believe me. In fact, the Novgorod region is now somewhere in the middle, well, maybe a little below the middle. But this is definitely not the poorest and most unhappy region in the country. Of course, this place is completely inconsistent with its historical status. Therefore, the appointment to the Novgorod region is not just an honor for me, but also a great challenge. I want the Novgorod region today to be perceived as an advanced, metropolitan, successful region, where people want to live, where people are interested in coming.
As for the governor’s authority and status, the proverb definitely applies here: “It’s not the place that makes the man, but the man the place.” The President supported me on some points. For example, he left me on the ASI Supervisory Board, along with two other governors - the Ulyanovsk region and Tatarstan. It is clear that this is an advance, but thanks to this I have the opportunity to promote some initiatives, including ours, at the federal level. Therefore, there is no such thing as “governor status” - there are different people who are treated differently. And it will depend only on me and my team how the center will respond to my wishes and requests.
“I’ll explain what I meant when I asked a question about a depressed region.” There were such fears that either Mitin or you would be the last Novgorod governor - purely due to objective demographic indicators. Of course, there are different regions, but ours is a dying region, that is, our population is declining by 3-4 thousand people every year. How can this trend be reversed? After all, at some point, the federal authorities may decide that there is no point in maintaining such a federal subject with a population of half a million, that is, less than that of many cities. But conversations about the consolidation of regions have been going on for a long time and in recent months they have become relevant again.
- Well, let's join someone! (laughs)
- Will we join or will we be joined? Because if the latter happens, then it will be a real disaster for Veliky Novgorod. It will turn into such a small tourist town - for visitors, not for local residents.
— This is not my level of competence, of course, although the issue of consolidating regions in different configurations is being discussed at the federal level. You see, there are several different points, and one of them is that the next five years will be decisive for Novgorod. And there are several questions that need to be answered. The most important question is the quality of education provided in Novgorod. If we have a strong university, if we have a strong secondary education, then this will attract young people here. In the long term, this is the number one issue.
You know, every year the Foreign Investment Advisory Council surveys foreign investors across the country what they consider to be the main barrier. And over the past five years, the problem of corruption has moved up to tenth place. This, of course, does not mean that it does not exist. Corruption has now become a big problem for small businesses. They are afraid to touch large foreigners.
— There are probably not many of them left?
- They are afraid that there will be a scandal. The problem of some administrative barriers is also gradually decreasing... So, the main problem that everyone is talking about is education. The state spends approximately the same amount of money per year on secondary and higher education as business then spends on pre- and retraining of these people. And you, as a person immersed in the media, know that Novgorod University has problems today. It’s worth reading the same comments from teachers on Facebook...
— Reductions at the university continue; in my native Institute of Humanities, NovSU, faculties were liquidated - now instead of them there are some departments...
- And you see, sometimes you can even endure for the sake of some goal, but there is no goal! Therefore, question No. 1 is university and secondary education. Question No. 2 is the quality of the urban environment. It should be convenient to walk in the city, it should be convenient to ride a bicycle in the city, there should be more cafes, shops, and some places in the city where you can spend time.
— Are there not enough cafes today?
- I think not, absolutely. Take a trip to St. Petersburg, to the main street, or to Moscow, or to some other city, for example, to Rostov. You can count...
— But doesn’t the market itself regulate these things? After all, if there is great demand, then additional establishments are opened, and if even the existing cafes are not filled with visitors, then what is the point of opening new ones?
- Okay, let's do it this way. Visit Verona in Italy. This is also a small city, like Novgorod, but how many cafes are there?
— Yes, but how many tourists are there, unlike Novgorod?
- This is the next question - about tourists! In fact, education and the urban environment, normal, comfortable housing are the most important. There are a lot of countries where between large cities there are small towns, but very interesting and comfortable for living. In the West, even large companies often open offices not in capitals, but in cities where it is simply convenient to live. Therefore, here, of course, we will need to work on a lot with the head of the city administration, and we will help him. In 1-1.5 years, when the M11 highway to St. Petersburg is built, it will be a completely different story. I think that Novgorod has a great future in this regard.
Thanks, of course, to those people who restored Novgorod after the war, to those architects who created such a convenient, interesting layout of the center. It is clear that later it was spoiled by these quarters of the 70s and 80s. It is clear that those neighborhoods that were built in the 90s are absolutely identical to those that were built throughout the country. But, nevertheless, the city has not yet been completely killed. And we need to deal with the urban environment, we need to invest in it. Then there will be prospects.
— I have read your “Five Step Strategy”, and in it you, in particular, talk about the need to improve the quality of life of the region’s residents. How can this be done? You were just talking about Veliky Novgorod, and now I’m talking about districts and regional centers like the village of Parfino. I know that you were in Parfin. Do you have an understanding of how life can be improved there in order to stop the extinction and flight of the population to the regional center?
— Firstly, we need to develop education and healthcare. There was a certain passion in the region for various construction projects. There are many unfinished scandalous objects. The so-called Okulovsky sports and recreation center, the hospital in Lyubytino, which is constantly flooded, the same house in Pankovka, which burned down and which the devil built. And, of course, now we need to focus less on new construction projects and more on the quality of school and healthcare facilities. Of course, we need to develop remote topics. Schoolchildren in Parfin should have the opportunity to listen to a lecture by a professor from the university, that is, there should not be such a gap in the quality of education that exists now between Novgorod and the regions (this also applies to healthcare). All this can be done there, and all this can be solved.
Well, the second thing is, of course, landscaping. Moreover, improvement is exclusively in the format of supporting local initiatives. That is, not to install a monster that someone ordered, but to give people the opportunity to decide for themselves what and how they want to improve it. Somewhere, including through co-financing. You know, just now I was in the Chudovsky district - the district spent a million rubles on playgrounds, and they were all immediately broken.
— Couldn’t there be a corruption component there?
- Well, I'm not an investigator. Maybe it can, but it's unlikely. There is successful practice, for example, Bashkiria spends half a billion rubles per year to support local initiatives, using a co-financing system. That is, if residents collect 5-10% themselves, then the region contributes the remaining 90%. Why is this being done? So that people have a strong feeling that it is theirs, that someone did not put it there, and then they will indifferently decide that we will break it, burn it, and then look at it. In this regard, local self-government is very important. The institution of village elders is very important. Of course, today these people are not given enough attention - in the decision-making system, heads of settlements generally occupy tenth place. And we need to make sure that they have the opportunity to make some decisions and consult with residents.
— A clarifying question about healthcare, since we started talking about it. In the same village of Parfino there was a hospital, then it was turned into a branch - accordingly its rank dropped, many specialist doctors are not there, and people are forced to travel to Staraya Russa and Veliky Novgorod. That is, in reality, the quality of medical care, and therefore life, is deteriorating. Can anything be changed here?
— Unfortunately, this process is quite objective. And there is no such “free healthcare” system as we have in our country anywhere else in the world. What can be done? It is possible to make good diagnostics in Parfin, so that people from there come to the same cancer center not with the last stage of cancer, but at a very early stage. You can get treatment in Staraya Russa, but there must be a good road there, there must be a normal bus connection, and this is one of the issues that needs to be resolved - transport connections between our settlements. But on site, a person should have the opportunity to undergo all possible types of medical examination. That is, people should begin to be treated not when they already become disabled, but at the very beginning. I believe that this is one of the biggest problems in our country - that people do not undergo medical examination in a timely manner.
— You have just touched upon an extremely painful road issue for the region. In July, at the invitation of the state company Avtodor, I participated in a personal blog tour, inspecting sections of the M11 highway in the Moscow, Tver and Novgorod regions. This route will be toll, but what can we say about the state of free roads? Both President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised this issue during their visits to Veliky Novgorod. In your strategy, you also identified as a first step the need to improve road and transport infrastructure. A few years ago, if you know, the so-called “Road case” - the first deputy governor of the region, Arnold Shalmuev, was arrested on charges of corruption, but this did not make the roads any better. Do you expect any major changes in this direction in 2-3 years if you are elected governor in September?
- Well, the fact of someone’s arrest cannot make the roads any better. In general, these are two such communicating vessels - theft and mismanagement. We now have 76% of roads in substandard condition, and I want their number to decrease by 10% per year under my leadership.
- Every year by 10%? How will this be ensured?
— This will be ensured by very strict control, very stringent quality requirements for contractors. Next year we will launch an independent quality audit. Now you know what’s going on? There is a quality control specialist at Novgorodavtodor in a certain area. For example, in the Parfinsky district. He lives there. And when we started checking this system, it turned out that this person did not even go to the road site - the contractors brought these cores to him themselves. Well, this is understandable - he lives there, he has long been motivated in various ways. That is, he doesn’t even look at where this core was brought to him from, where they drilled it - maybe they drilled it on the federal highway, where everything is fine. And so he signed the quality control certificates.
Plus centralization of procurement. While we are buying it all like this - remember the picture “The Sower” from Ilf and Petrov, who throws money away without looking? I asked for information here - we subsidize municipalities for roads - and that means I asked for statistics on what municipalities built over the previous five years? It turned out that such statistics were not kept in the Novgorod region, no one knows anything.
Of course, with such a budget we will not be able to do everything instantly, but we must return the support network, first of all, that is, restore the road “circulatory system” along which the maximum number of people travel. Therefore, this 10% must be done every year by any means, by any means. I understand that this is less than we would like, and I understand those people who are in the last 10%, but what else do we want to do? The money that goes to municipalities and interdistrict roads is not much, but most likely we will ask people what roads they would like to fix first. We will definitely develop such direct democracy, including in the “Veche Bell” format.
— In a recent interview with the editor-in-chief of Book Review, you, in my opinion, demonstrated good taste when speaking about your reading preferences. Your holiday reading list includes books by Homer, Eunapius and Sextus Aurelius Victor. Probably, in order to please the voter, you had to name something more popular, understandable to everyone, with a clear patriotic sound?! After all, today it is both fashionable and politically advantageous to loudly declare one’s patriotism, Orthodoxy, and spirituality on every corner. I am talking about this, bearing in mind the reproaches addressed to you from some federal experts who say that “Andrei Nikitin looks out of touch with the realities of the Novgorod region.” Does reading the book “Technological Singularity” or the works of the ancient authors listed above somehow help you in understanding the realities of the Novgorod region and how people live here?
“I would answer these federal experts that there is no need to humiliate the people who live in the Novgorod region. In the Novgorod region, thanks to the university and museum, there are probably, on average, more people with a good level of education than in similar areas. Therefore, one should not consider the Novgorod region a place where normal books are not read. There are people here who read much more than me and read much more complex things. Reading ancient Russian literature is much more difficult, especially if you read it without translation into a modern language. Read the chronicles, read the birch bark letters - try translating them!
Therefore, I don’t think at all that this is a problem. I read this literature for myself, and it interests me. But things like books about modern technologies are also important. Remember that before a person went on a business trip, sent a telegram, and then there was no contact with him for a week. What does a modern cell phone provide? You need to know books about modern technologies in order to understand where this is all going. And it will get there relatively soon. And perhaps now we need to think about what specialties are needed at Novgorod University? What kind of people will be needed in seven years, for example?
I'll give you a simple example. There is medicine and there is information technology, and now all startups in the field of medicine are built on digital. That is, we are always talking about the connection between treatment and the processing of big data. Everything that could be invented in terms of classical operations was invented by Pirogov and his followers. All modern healthcare solutions are data solutions. And if we are talking about the success of the university, then it is necessary to train people in related specialties, that is, a physician cannot but know information technology. There is a very good example of Tomsk. The Tomsk region gives grants for student startups, but only where students from different faculties cooperate: IT specialists with doctors or physicists, etc. The same builders today cannot build a modern home without modern 3D design technologies. And if we are talking about a “smart home,” then various sensors, etc., must be built into the walls.
Naturally, my knowledge in these areas is absolutely superficial, and I am not an expert either in the singularity or, unfortunately, in history. But as a leader, it is important for me to generally understand where the world is going, and to understand that it will come here too.
— The last question in today’s conversation is related to the list of senatorial candidates that you submitted to the regional election commission (Mitin, Minina, Bobryshev). What was the reason for this choice? In particular, I am more interested in the figure of former governor Sergei Mitin. Do we need to understand that the other two candidates were included in this list simply to formally comply with the procedure, and the fact that Mitin will become a senator is a foregone conclusion?
— Firstly, when compiling this list, I had one criterion - it included people who actively worked or are working in the Novgorod region. This was the basic criterion. All candidates have behind them a list of successes, and, probably, some list of complaints against them - this is normal. All are living people, and if there are no complaints against you, then you are not working. But I will make a decision only when and if people support me, that is, after the elections. I treat everyone on the list with equal respect.
— But do Minina or Bobryshev have any chances of becoming senators?
— Everyone on the list has a chance. Then, you know the rule that according to modern laws, if something happens, the senator can change within five years, and you can choose another senator only from this list. Therefore, anything can happen.
Original interview on Nikolai Podosokorsky's blog. You can also subscribe to my pages:
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Early years and education
The future governor of the Novgorod region was born on November 26, 1979 in Moscow. However, his childhood years were spent in Miass (Chelyabinsk region) - his father was one of the managers of the press and body shop at UralAz.After graduating from one of the Miass secondary schools, Nikitin went for higher education to the capital’s University of Public Administration (GUM), where he subsequently defended his diploma (2001) and transferred to graduate school.
Five years later, 27-year-old Nikitin successfully defended his scientific dissertation and became a candidate of economic sciences. The topic of his work was “Organizational change strategy as a tool for effective management.”
Interview with Andrei Nikitin in the program “Star on Star”
However, Andrey did not stop there and in 2007 was awarded the prestigious MBA degree from the Stockholm School in the world of economics. These successes were noted by the leadership of the State University of Management, and in 2008 he received the academic title of associate professor in the department of organization and management.
Business and political career
While still studying at the university, Andrei became actively involved in business. Thus, in the early 2000s, he oversaw the legal aspects of the activities of Block Black LLC. In 2001, Teremok-Russian Pancakes LLC drew attention to his strategic talents and was offered the position of general director for development.Andrey did not stay there for long and a year later he became responsible for business development at Neftegazinvest CJSC. This investment group was developing rapidly at that time, as evidenced by the acquisition of the Steklonit OJSC plant in 2002. In the newly formed structure, Nikitin received the position of general director of TD Steklonit LLC. Andrey Sergeevich worked at this place for about five years, simultaneously collaborating with the furniture company KSI LLC and Uralneftegazstroy LLC.
Head of ASI Andrey Nikitin: how to start your own business
In addition, since 2002, Nikitin was listed in the structure of the Ruskompozit business group, where from 2009 to 2011 he held his usual position of general director. It should be noted that no matter what company Andrei appeared in, its profitability increased sharply.
All this time, Andrei Nikitin was a member of the non-profit state organization “Business Russia”. He was responsible for issues of youth entrepreneurship and small business. He was also the curator of the promising initiative “Quality of Roads in the Russian Federation,” where they developed a plan to cover roads with innovative materials.
Andrey’s career took another turn upward when he won an open competition and, with the approval of the President of the Russian Federation, headed the Agency for Strategic Initiatives in 2011. This company was engaged in improving the national investment climate and other important initiatives, ranging from out-of-school children's education to the creation of investment elevators for non-resource enterprises with great export potential.
Over the years of work in this government organization, he was awarded the medal “For Valiant Labor” and received gratitude from President Vladimir Putin more than once.
Against this background, the president’s decision to appoint Andrei Sergeevich as acting governor of Novgorod in 2017 seemed quite logical. During the years of the reign of the previous governor, Sergei Mitin, the region reached a pre-default state. Thus, the young specialist had the opportunity to try his hand at political activity.
Andrey Nikitin: personal life, hobbies
Andrei Sergeevich is married and lives with his wife in a Moscow apartment. She is an obstetrician-gynecologist by profession and works in a public medical institution.Nikitin says about himself that he doesn’t really know how to rest, but loves delicious food. When he has free time, he reads historical materials about Ancient Rome and writes scientific papers. By the end of 2016, six publications under his authorship were published.
In his youth, Andrei Nikitin dreamed of a motorcycle. He fulfilled his long-standing desire when he was already the head of ASI. True, due to constant work, it’s rare to get out somewhere on your favorite iron horse.
He considers himself a technocrat - a person convinced that management personnel should be highly qualified scientific and technical specialists.
Andrey Nikitin now
In February 2017, Andrei Sergeevich, by presidential decree, took the position of acting governor of the Novgorod region. 
At one of his first speeches, the newly appointed head of the region said that the region needed a new, clear and understandable image, as well as attracting creative entrepreneurs.
